Oct 20, 20264 min read

Today in Hip Hop: October 20

Snoop Dogg turns 55, and October 20 keeps delivering birthdays and classic releases for the culture.

OMYGOTTI

Toronto hip-hop artist | 730K+ Facebook

1971

Snoop Dogg Is Born in Long Beach

Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr. was born in Long Beach, California, on October 20, 1971. His mother gave him the nickname Snoop after Snoopy from the Peanuts cartoon, and the name stuck long before the fame. He sang in church as a kid, started rapping in middle school, and cut demo tapes with Nate Dogg and Warren G under the name Snoop Doggy Dog.

Dr. Dre spotted the talent and brought him onto The Chronic in 1992. A year later Doggystyle arrived and entered the Billboard 200 at number one, moving over 800,000 copies in its first week. Three decades later he is still everywhere, from music to movies to TV. He turns 55 today, and nobody in hip hop has aged more gracefully in the public eye.

My take: From Death Row to Martha Stewart to the Olympics booth. Longevity is its own legacy, and Snoop is the blueprint.

1988

A$AP Ferg Is Born in Harlem

Darold D. Brown Jr., better known as A$AP Ferg, was born in Harlem on October 20, 1988. He came up through the A$AP Mob alongside A$AP Rocky, and his 2013 breakout single 'Work' turned him into a solo star with one of the most recognizable ad-libs in rap. 'Plain Jane' followed and became a streaming monster.

Ferg has always been the Mob's fashion plate and its energy guy, bouncing between rap and design with a Harlem swagger nobody else has. He turns 38 today, and his run is a reminder that being a group's second breakout does not make you second place.

My take: Trap Lord energy still rings off. Harlem gave us one of the most consistent solo runs of the blog era.

1999

NBA YoungBoy Is Born in Baton Rouge

Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, better known as NBA YoungBoy, was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on October 20, 1999. He started releasing music as a teenager, dropped his breakout Life Before Fame mixtape in 2015, and built one of the most loyal fanbases in rap through sheer volume. By the time 'Outside Today' cracked the top 40 in 2018, he was already unavoidable.

Nobody outworks him. Multiple projects a year, a catalog that never stops growing, and numbers that put him in the conversation with artists twice his profile. He turns 27 today, and the most impressive part is how much road is still ahead of him.

My take: The most prolific star of his generation. Love him or not, the work rate is undeniable.

1989

Roxanne Shante Releases Her Debut Bad Sister

Roxanne Shante dropped her debut album Bad Sister on Cold Chillin' Records on October 20, 1989. It peaked at number 52 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, which barely tells the story. Shante was already a legend by then, famous for the Roxanne Wars, the battle rap saga that made her a teenage icon.

Thirty seven years later, her legacy is bigger than any chart position. She was one of the first women to hold her own in battle rap against all comers, and her story got the full biopic treatment with Roxanne Roxanne. Bad Sister is the album that captured her at her sharpest.

My take: One of the founding mothers of battle rap. October 20 belongs to her as much as anyone.

1992

Grand Puba Drops His Solo Debut Reel to Reel

Grand Puba released his debut solo album Reel to Reel on October 20, 1992, after splitting from Brand Nubian. The record carried '360 Degrees (What Goes Around),' which went to number one on the Hot Rap Songs chart, and 'Check It Out,' his smooth collaboration with a then rising Mary J. Blige.

Puba had a laid back charisma that stood apart in the golden era, and Reel to Reel captured him at the peak of his powers. Thirty four years on, '360 Degrees' still sounds like a masterclass in how to ride a sample without breaking a sweat.

My take: A golden era gem that does not get talked about enough. Put it back in rotation today.

2009

Fashawn and Royce da 5'9 Drop on the Same Day

Two very different debut era statements landed on October 20, 2009. Fresno's Fashawn released Boy Meets World, entirely produced by Exile, to critical acclaim from HipHop DX and XXL. Songs like 'Hey Young World' and 'Samsonite Man' made it one of the most respected underground debuts of the decade.

The same day, Royce da 5'9 dropped Street Hop, a 22 track album with contributions from Big Sean and Busta Rhymes that peaked at number 110 on the Billboard 200. Seventeen years later, both records are proof that October 20 has a habit of producing real lyricist albums.

My take: Two classics for the heads, one release date. This day knows what it is doing.